


Director's Eyes Only

by Skyson



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-01
Updated: 2016-09-01
Packaged: 2018-08-12 11:09:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7932379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyson/pseuds/Skyson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Future-fic; Daisy is working for SHIELD again, leading her own team of Inhumans, Coulson and Mack are still partners, new Director is still Director. He's okay. He's just confused about some things.</p><p>Alternatively titled 10 moments observed by The Director.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Director's Eyes Only

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Pippypaleopath](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pippypaleopath/gifts).



> For i-deduce-skeletons on Tumblr, whose invaluable help without which I wouldn't have finished this fic.

 

 **1.  
**   
"Is this going to be a problem?" The Director frowned at Coulson, the two of them filling up their coffee mugs at the same time one morning. Coulson turned from where he'd watched Daisy leave the room, and gave The Director a mildly confused look.

"Is what going to be a problem?"

The Director gestured with his head toward the doorway as he stepped aside and added sugar to his coffee, giving Coulson room to reach the coffee machine.

"Look, I know SHIELD has had rules about it in the past, but I get it. We don't get out much. As long as it doesn't effect the job, I don't put up too much of a fuss about relationships." The Director explained as Coulson filled up his mug.

"Relation - " Coulson laughed, setting the carafe back onto the warmer. "Daisy and I aren't in a relationship." Coulson replied, still amused by that as he left the kitchen.

The Director watched him leave, more confused than before.

 

 

 **2.  
**   
"Holy _shit_ ," Daisy blurted, looking Coulson up and down as he entered the office.

"Sorry I'm late," he started, pausing to give Daisy a peculiar look at her words, "I had to dig up a clean pair of jeans..." Everyone was silent for just a beat too long, and Coulson added a little heavier, "So where are we on security in the building?"

Daisy stopped listening, because she was distracted by said mentioned jeans. They were black Levis, probably 501s if she guessed correctly, and it was quite obvious he'd managed the whole 'shrink to fit' idea perfectly. She vaguely registered Mack talking, but Coulson was busy tucking in the tails of his shirt (which was a gunmetal grey color, and shiny in a way that told her it was probably expensive). He turned to her as he buckled up his belt, catching her as she licked her lips and forced her eyes back up to his face. He looked a little too proud, and she pursed her lips in annoyance that'd she'd been so obviously distracted.

"So, what do you suggest for backup? The Power Rangers or a team of agents?" The Director asked Coulson, his words pulling Daisy fully back into focus.

"You've been hanging out with Mack too much." Daisy informed him, and he sent her a wry, but amused, expression.

It was still a little weird between them, considering he had once been sending people out to arrest her, but he wasn't an entirely horrible human being. He seemed pretty no-nonsense, though, so she didn't usually joke around with him. He probably only responded to it as much as he did because he was still very much the outside man within SHIELD, and he was trying to change that.

"Tactical team should be fine," Coulson replied, smoothing down the front of his shirt. Daisy followed the movement of his hand, and found herself staring at his ass again before she looked away.

"Alright," The Director nodded toward Mack to go start preparing one of the QuinJets. "Do what you need to to get in there, but make it quick. We can't give Blake the chance to recognize you and escape before our team breaches point."

Coulson nodded, and The Director dismissed them all. May went to help Mack, and Daisy met Coulson at the door.

"You missed a button," She told him, touching her finger against his stomach where one of the buttons was mismatched. Coulson looked down, reaching up to touch the button as well, their hands brushing together.

"Oh," He laughed lightly, "thanks." He pulled his shirt back up out of his waistband and started unbuttoning it, turning and making his way down the hall. Daisy stood there in the doorway watching after him.

"Holy hip dents, Batman." She said under her breath.

The Director cleared his throat, and she quickly disappeared.

They were far too familiar with one another for him to believe what Coulson had told him the other day.

 

 

 **3.**    
  
"Daisy, can you hack into Stark's server in the new tower? He's got some new security up and we've been shut out." Coulson and The Director stopped by Daisy's office for a moment, Coulson poking his head inside the room while The Director waited in the hall.

It wasn't that he didn't like Daisy, but he was curious about something, and he didn't want her to know that he was there too.

"Hacking into secure servers? I don't know, that's not really my thing." Daisy teased.

"What do we have you for, then?" Coulson wondered incredulously, and Daisy laughed.

"Because I'm cute!" She responded immediately, drawing a laugh out of Coulson as well. The Director was surprised to hear such a noise come from either one of them, but he was more surprised by the twinkle in Coulson's eye as he turned back toward the hall.

They walked together in silence for a bit.

"We're just fond of one another, that's all." Coulson explained, knowing why The Director was so silent.

"Right." He replied.

 

 

 **4.  
**   
"Hey, I saw you coming out of Daisy's office," **  
**

"I was asking her how her new team members were doing." Coulson interrupted May, sounding slightly defensive. May gave him a weird look.

"Okay." She replied dismissively. "Can you give her this? Director's got me out on another pickup and travel will take a day or two." May handed Coulson a bundle of fabric. "Tell her to try wearing this while she spars, it might help matters. And I guess, you or Mack train with her for me while I'm gone? Thanks," May disappeared before Coulson could say anything else, and he was left standing there in the middle of the hallway.

"Coulson!" Mack called from the other end of the hall, behind Coulson. He turned toward his partner, still catching up to what May had quickly told him. "Hey, I'm headed out on an op with May, so..." Mack trailed off, looking at Coulson's hand, and raised his eyebrow high. "Do I want to know why you're standing here alone holding a bra?" Mack asked dryly.

"It's Daisy's." Coulson defended quickly, then froze, and closed his eyes tightly.

"Is it?" Mack's tone sounded odd, and pointedly unsurprised, and Coulson wrenched his eyes open.

"It's, May asked me to give it to her, I don't - " Coulson corrected, and Mack's amusement only grew. "Travel safely." Coulson said instead, brushing around Mack and walking quickly down the hall.

Mack turned to watch him, noticing that he was headed toward Daisy's office. He blinked, unsure whether he really wanted to know any details about what he just saw, unsure if he even wanted to acknowledge what he just saw.

"Coffee." Mack muttered, making his way to the kitchen.

The Director was there, grabbing something from the fridge while he read a file he was holding in his other hand.

"Afternoon, sir," Mack greeted politely, and The Director looked up at him, nodding in return when he saw who it was, an apple in his mouth and a plastic-wrapped sandwich in his free hand.

He closed the fridge with his elbow as Mack selected a mug from the cabinet, and Mack assumed he headed back upstairs to his office.

"If I ever see that image again it will be too soon." Mack muttered to himself, thinking of Coulson and his weird expression and the bra.

"What?" The Director wondered curiously, and Mack glanced back toward him, trying to think of something to say other than the truth. The Director narrowed his eyes, and tucked the file under his arm to free a hand to pull the apple from his mouth. "What happened?"

"Nothing important," Mack assured him, "I just..." He looked to the side, and chuckled without any humor, "Do you think Coulson and Daisy...?" He wasn't really asking, he was more thinking out loud.

"Coulson and Daisy what?" The Director pressed, even taking a step closer to Mack.

"Nothing," Mack chuckled again, this time more relaxed, turning to fill his mug with coffee. Knowing he needed to appease his boss that it wasn't anything concerning SHIELD as a whole, he added, "I just forget, sometimes, how close the two of them are. I usually see them individually; it's been a while since I've seen them work side by side."

"They're close?" The Director asked innocently, and Mack glanced at him, hoping he wasn't getting his old partner and his new partner in trouble.

"I mean..." What could he say? "Yeah." He really didn't know how else to put it. "They're friends." He said it, and he knew that they were, but it didn't quite sound right.

"You know," The Director admitted quietly, not one to usually discuss his conversations with other people, "I asked Coulson if he was in a relationship with Agent Johnson."

"You what?" Mack sputtered, almost choking on his coffee. He laughed. "Like, romantic? Nah, that ain't them." They were different, sure, but Mack at least knew that much.

"You sure? What did you see, earlier, that you apparently don't want to see again?" The Director pointed out, and Mack hesitated.

Maybe he didn't know.

 

 

 **5.  
**   
"Coulson, what is wrong?" Daisy huffed, sitting back on her hands on the mat. Coulson mirrored her position opposite her, looking uncomfortable and trying to hide it.

"Nothing," He said, not sounding believable at all.

"Are you worried about my powers?" Daisy prodded. "I don't understand. We've sparred before. You know I'm careful."

"It's not that," Coulson insisted, and she could tell he was telling the truth about that.

"Then what? You don't _have_ to spar with me if you don't want to, Coulson," Daisy said crossly, getting to her feet, "No need to feel obligated,"

"I just - " Coulson made a noise of frustration, "My leg hurts a little this morning."

"Oh." Daisy deflated, her eyes softening. She shifted toward him, kneeling next to his right leg. "Why didn't you say so earlier," She chided softly, gently touching his skin near the scar on his shin.

"I don't like calling attention to it," Coulson admitted, "Especially around you. I don't want you to feel bad about it."

"I feel bad about it all the time, Coulson. You can't change that." Daisy informed him, and he frowned sadly.

"Daisy, don't - "

"Stop," She interrupted. "We're not arguing about this again." Because they have, many times. Coulson sighed, but didn't continue his sentence. "Is there anything that helps? Other than pain pills?" Daisy wondered, and Coulson shrugged.

"Not that I know of. It's just the muscle, it - " He stopped when she placed her hands on his leg again.

"Have you tried massaging it?" She asked, sliding her hands underneath his calf muscle, squeezing gently. He sucked in a breath, staring at her hands. She looked at him in concern. "Does that hurt? I'm barely touching you..."

"No," He said, "It doesn't hurt. Sorry." He apologized lamely. "I, um...well, I don't exactly have time to schedule a _masseuse_." He joked sarcastically, and Daisy rolled her eyes.

"Um, hello? You've got me." She pressed her fingers into the muscle for a minute, then rested the pads of her fingers just barely against his skin.

"What are you - " He cut himself off with a weird noise, and she glanced at him oddly before focusing back toward his leg. She didn't want to hurt him.

She was using her powers, very minutely, to relax his muscle from deep within. She'd done this numerous times on her own sore feet, and her teammates from time to time if they expressed having stiff shoulders or back.

"Is it helping?" She murmured, interlocking her fingers and cradling his leg in her grasp.

"Uh-huh," Coulson breathed, and she looked up at him at the tightness of voice.

He was staring at her, not her hands, his eyes wide, his mouth parted.

"Excuse me, Agent Johnson?" The Director called from the doorway, and Daisy yanked her hands to herself.

"Yes?" She quickly got to her feet, quietly clearing her throat, refusing to look back down toward Coulson, trying not to think about what she'd seen in his expression.

"Am I interrupting?" The Director wondered, and he sounded like he was truly concerned if he was. Daisy narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Just the usual sparring match. I like to kick some ass before my first cup of coffee in the morning," Daisy replied loftily, snarky. She glanced down at Coulson, and reached her hand down to help him up when she realized he was still just sitting there. Once he'd steadied on his feet and let go of her arm, she added, "I usually spar with May, but when she's not available Coulson is nice enough to fill in."

"Because you're friends." The Director nodded, looking at both of them. Daisy narrowed her eyes further, glancing at Coulson again. He looked just as confused, though also maybe a little worried? "Anyway," The Director called her attention again, resting his hand against the door jamb momentarily, "whenever you're finished with the morning routine, meet me in my office? I have some questions regarding the, uh," he faltered, trying not to make it sound like he was insulting her, "questions about your people."

"My people?" Daisy repeated, a little amused by him, and he nodded.

"Take your time, though, no rush..." He raised his eyebrows as he trailed off, looking at Coulson again before disappearing back into the hall.

"Why has he been acting so weird around me, lately? I mean, weirder than usual." Daisy wondered, and Coulson looked nervous. "He doesn't _like_ me, does he?" She whispered suddenly. It wasn't that he was unattractive, but, he was too... _By the book_. The kind of suit she wouldn't have liked working with _at all_ back in her Rising Tide days. Now she could find ways to deal with having that type of boss, but, attracted to him? Nah, he wasn't her type.

" _Like you_?" Coulson repeated incredulously, looking downright horrified. Daisy frowned at him.

"Well, it's not like I'm _unlikeable_ ," she grouched, folding her arms across her chest. "Geez, _Dad_ , put the shotgun down."

Now he looked like he was going to throw up. She could see how his face paled, and then turned a weird shade of green.

"I need to go." He muttered, leaving her standing there alone, in the middle of the gym.

"What-" She frowned, propping her hands on her hips. "Talk about being weird around me lately." She shook her head, and walked toward the punching bags, figuring she would at least finish the rest of her workout without a partner.

 

 

 **6.  
**   
"I can't believe you called me that."

"I was being sarcastic! It's not like I said that to spite you!"

The Director slowed his steps, approaching one of the numerous storage rooms on base and finding the door cracked open. The arguing voices crescendoed for a moment, before dropping back down to pressing whispers.

"I also can't believe that you thought he _liked_ you!"

"How am I supposed to know? The guy goes from hating me, to suspicion, to tolerance, to _whatever_ the hell it is now - it's almost like every time I turn around, there he is!"

"Maybe he's still suspicious of you." Coulson sounded almost like he was taunting her.

"Maybe you're just jealous." Daisy retorted.

"Maybe I am!"

The Director didn't hear anything else after that outburst, and he stepped closer to the doorway, leaning his back against the wall and tilting his ear toward the door. They were silent for long enough that he considered trying to peek into the room.

Not that he needed to _spy_ on anyone. He was The Director - if he wanted to randomly walk into a storage room that so happened to be occupied, he could do so. He didn't have to make excuses for exploring around his own base.

Granted, he'd been standing here for long enough now that it no longer counted as exploring, but he was hoping no one would enter the hall and ask him.

" _Are_ you jealous?" Daisy asked so softly, The Director almost missed it.

"I'm just worried about you," Coulson sighed, "I'm always worried about you."

"Well, stop. It's putting wrinkles on your forehead." Daisy spoke softly, fondly, and The Director had a strong suspicion that she was touching said wrinkles.

"I was born with those," There was the sound of Coulson hitting her hand away, but she laughed, so The Director guessed he hadn't meant any malice behind the gesture.

"I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to make you feel old or anything like that, I just... I don't know, it was a gut reaction. You _did_ sound awfully territorial, though."

"I'm not _territorial_."

Daisy snorted.

"It's okay, though. I need someone like you watching my back. Someone that isn't my dad."

"He's already crazy enough."

"Rude!" She hit him again; by the muffled sound of it probably in his arm or chest. "But, okay, yeah, one is more than enough for me." Daisy sighed, longingly almost, and The Director frowned.

He knew her file inside and out; both of her parents were deceased.

"Perhaps you can ask your new Director friend for some vacation days, go see your dad?" Coulson suggested.

"Again in the 'Director friend' department, one is enough for me. And I dunno...I saw him a bit while I was out rogueing around, you know? I don't want to see him _too_ often, and raise any red flags."

"I'm sure it'll be alright."

"Would you be suggesting this to anyone else?" Daisy asked, partially suspicious, mostly knowing.

"Probably not." Coulson admitted.

"I'll think about it. The Director might legitimately get suspicious if I ask for vacation days, I'll have to feel it out. And _no_ , don't you dare turn that into a dirty joke."

"Wasn't gonna." Coulson didn't sound believable in the slightest.

"Come on, we'd better get back to the office before somebody thinks we've been making out in here."

Coulson's laugh in response to her was too loud, and too forced. The Director grimaced, shaking his head.

"Are you alright?" Daisy asked.

"Fine, fine. You're right, let's go."

Footsteps quickly approached the door, and The Director leapt back stealthily, making like he was just meandering down the hall when Coulson opened the storage room door wider.

Coulson froze, Daisy freezing just behind him, and The Director paused as he raised his eyebrow at them.

"Do I need to give you two the same warning that I gave to Agents Fitz and Simmons?" He questioned, and Coulson did a fairly good job on the poker face. Daisy, on the other hand, looked amused to no end.

"No, Sir. Sorry." She told him, very polite, though with a huge smile on her face, as she slipped around Coulson and stepped out into the hallway. She turned and patted her hand against Coulson's chest as she added, "We'll keep em to the SUVs, from now on," and with a wink to Coulson, she sauntered off down the hall.

Coulson stared after her, chagrined, and The Director stared after her, perplexed.

"I'm very confused." The Director admitted.

"Me, too." Coulson replied.

 

 

 **7.  
**   
The teasing flirting they would do previously over the years was nothing new to Daisy, but it had been a while since they've reached that comfort level in their friendship again. Daisy was determined to expedite the process, and encouraged Coulson to continue working out with her in the mornings.

He seemed a little more at ease about it, too, so she took it easy on him for the first few days. That is to say, the flirting part. The fighting part, she was all in for. He seemed to enjoy that, anyway, and he wouldn't hold back his punches either. It was nice, really nice actually; it wasn't so different than fighting with May.

Well, there were a few differences. Like, Daisy never put herself on top of him for long, if they found themselves on the mats. She never grappled anywhere close to his groin area, even staying away from the inner leg where usually one could find a good hold on the pant leg for a flip move. She never put her whole body weight against him either, which is something she usually had to do in a fight simply because she tended to be the smaller one and needed to use whatever weight she had to her advantage.

One day they'd been sparring a little longer than usual, Coulson wanting her to try some heavier moves against his prosthetic. She was wary to use her powers against him at first, but eventually she agreed to that too, small portions at a time. They were both sweating, Daisy with her bangs plastered to her forehead, Coulson with his hair sticking up everywhere, when he called for a break.

He grabbed some towels and water bottles, tossing her one of each, before opening a water of his own and chugging half of it down. Daisy watched him as she opened her own bottle, quite distracted by him today. Beads of sweat dripped down the side of his face and along his neck, before he scrubbed the towel against his skin and over his head. She swallowed and turned away as she drank her water, catching her breath from the fight and scolding herself to stay on track.

"Ready?" He asked, still sounding pretty out of breath himself, but energetic. She nodded, glancing at him momentarily before pressing the towel against the back of her neck, and then running it through her hair. She tossed it to the side, her water bottle on top of it, and nodded again.

"Let's go," She grinned, noticing the way his eyes lingered on her hair for a bit too long. She crooked her fingers at him in a 'bring it on' gesture, making him smirk, and he strode toward her.

They immediately began to spar again, Coulson going for a quick attack and hoping to catch her by surprise. He didn't; she blocked his jab easily and twisted her body around, going for an elbow to his face. He caught her arm and pushed it away, twisting his leg around hers and turning his waist to bring her backwards onto the floor. He stepped over her to straddle her, dropping and sliding his arm under her neck, clasping his hands together as if they were fighting judo or something. (That seemed to be a part of his style, and she took note of that.) Twisting his body and rolling to the side, he got her arm locked between his. Grimacing, she wrapped her legs around his waist and attempted to gain control, but he had her tight.

She tapped his elbow and felt him relax, but that was when she quickly shifted, tucking her arm free from his loosened grip and controlling the roll so she ended up on top of him.

"It's not fair when you use your judo skills against me," she pointed out, catching her breath. He raised his eyebrow at her, clearly reminding her that a real fight wouldn't be fair anyway, and she grinned a little.

Then he lifted his knees, planting his feet flat on the ground and jutting his hips upward, pushing her body forward over him, almost throwing her off of him completely. Surprised, she caught herself on her hands, and he had room to grab her hips and tilt sideways, shifting his hips back far enough on the mat to get his knees free from her leg hold and press them into her sides. The next thing she knew, he had both his legs and his arms locked around her waist and her neck and arm.

Even on the floor underneath her, he still had control over the situation. She struggled against him, trying to free her head or get her legs in a position to roll them, but he was holding strong. Grunting in frustration, she tapped his arm and he immediately released the hold.

"I could teach you some things if you'd like," Coulson grinned at her, breathing hard, as she rolled onto her back on the floor next to him. "I'm sure May would be surprised, the next time you two fight."

"I can beat May fair and square, without your fancy little grapples and freakishly strong thighs." Daisy grumbled, and Coulson laughed. She looked over at him in surprise, staring at the wide grin on his face. His teeth were showing. His eyes were even crinkling in the corners. How the hell could he look so damn adorable while being covered in sweat? It wasn't fair.

And when the hell did she start being _that_ attracted to him?

"Alright, alright, I think we need to call it a day," Daisy decided, pushing herself up onto her hands. Coulson looked over at her, then sat up as well. He looked disappointed, but like he wasn't trying to show it.

"Are you sure? I could show you how to escape a choke hold from behind, if you'd like. _My_ way, as opposed to May's way, I mean."

It _was_ tempting to spend some more time with his legs wrapped around her.

"Yeah, okay, let's see what else you got AC," Daisy finally decided, earning another pleased smile from him, especially at the nickname.

As they grappled again, neither of them noticed The Director standing in the doorway, leaning his shoulder against the door jamb as he observed.

He wasn't trying to be sneaky about it, he was standing right there in the open, but they didn't register is presence and he didn't want to make some noise and accidentally have someone get punched or kicked in the face.

He was impressed by Daisy's hand to hand skills, not having known much about her skill set other than the Inhuman powers and her tech abilities. He had a pretty good idea that Coulson had somehow hidden a lot of her file from him, at this point, either that or Daisy had hid the information herself.

He was also impressed, however - and surprised - by Coulson's fighting ability. He'd always been a strong agent, The Director remembered that from earlier years, but watching him fight even now was impressive. He didn't move like a middle aged man; in fact, he looked like he was in the prime of his life. Taking care of one's body was one thing, and The Director knew for a fact that Coulson wasn't perfect in that regard - everyone on this base knew about his junk food habit. Coulson moved as if the natural deterioration of the body hasn't happened for him yet. Hell, watching him spar made The Director feel old, and he knew he was the younger of the two (if not by much).

He appreciated the beauty of fighting - watching Clint Barton and Natasha Romanov train together was always a treat for any agent, and he found himself comparing them to the two people in front of him now. He cocked his head to the side slightly as the pair sort of faded away, and he pictured the lines, angles, and curves that their bodies created together.

They just...fit. It was seamless. Even as Daisy hesitated with unfamiliarity at some of her movements, they still just _fit_.

"Director?" Daisy wondered in surprise, freezing underneath Coulson who was in a closed guard position over her. He looked up toward the doorway as well, his hands still planted on the floor on either side of Daisy's body. Her legs were wrapped low around his waist, but her ankles weren't locked, so she'd probably been about to lose that grapple.

If he'd just walked in on them, it almost looked like they were caught doing...something other than judo.

"Sorry, just observing." He straightened his back, holding his hand up slightly in apology. The other two didn't budge. "You, um... You're very good." He complimented them awkwardly. No point in telling them that they looked like a work of art.

He nodded, and stepped out of the room, only just out of their eyesight before leaning back against the wall, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers.

"Way to sound like the man in charge," He groaned to himself.

"Okay, you _know_ that was weird." Daisy informed Coulson, lifting her head up off the mat to look down at him. He was still kneeling between her legs. "But I think I've figured it out now," she smirked, "we both know I'm not the talented jiu-jitsu, judo, mma fighter here. He was talking to _you_."

"So?" Coulson frowned a little at her tone of voice.

"I don't think it's me that he _likes_ ," Daisy teased, and Coulson pursed his lips in disapproval. He looked thoughtfully toward the door, which was now empty, though The Director still stood unknown by them just outside in the hall.

 

 

 **8.  
**   
Coulson padded barefoot into the dimly lit kitchen, intent on raiding the fridge for a beer or two. He stopped when he realized Daisy was on the couch, playing a video game.

"Hey," He greeted softly, self-consciously running his hand across the back of his head, before he remembered that Daisy has seen him in his sleep clothes before. Besides, it was just shorts and a t-shirt...

"Hi," She replied, pausing her game and giving him a smile. "Can't sleep?"

"Haven't tried, yet," he admitted, stepping closer to the couch. She pursed her lips at him chidingly, but didn't say anything. She really couldn't fuss at him when she was sitting here playing video games. "Long day." He sighed, and she nodded in agreement. "Just getting some liquid assistance for falling asleep," he gestured toward the fridge, "want one?"

"Sure. I went for the relaxation-via-Call of Duty route, but I think it had the opposite effect." She told him, and he chuckled as he went to the fridge and pulled out a few bottles.

"Where the hell did this come from?" He wondered, looking at the labels. "I haven't seen this brand in a while." He held up a bottle so she could see it from the couch. "You a fan of Canadian beer?"

"Sure," She shrugged, turning to look over the back of the couch. "You wanna team up?" She lifted her game controller up in the air, and Coulson thought about it for a moment as he shut the fridge door with his foot and approached her.

"Afraid to go head-to-head?" He teased, and her eyes glinted. He inwardly groaned - she seemed far more awake than he was; he was probably about to get his ass kicked. Why did he say that?

"You're on," She hopped up to retrieve another controller for him, and he opened up two of the bottles, setting the others on the coffee table in front of the couch. He took a long pull from his drink immediately, releasing a heavy sigh, trying to shoulder off the weight of the day.

They sat down on the couch next to one another, Daisy lifting her feet up onto the edge of the table as she drank her own beer, and Coulson leaning back against the cushion.

"I think this is The Director's beer," Daisy commented, side-eyeing Coulson as he started up a new campaign on the game. He hesitated, looking back at her, and she pointedly drank some more, clearly not caring whose it was. Coulson smirked.

They ended up playing for a couple hours, Daisy indeed kicking Coulson's ass the first couple of campaigns, he returning the favor a few times after that. They also ended up drinking most of the six-pack that had been in the fridge, finding themselves both leaning forward on the edge of the couch, pushing their shoulders against one another in an attempt to throw one another off from the game.

Daisy laughed freely and often, putting Coulson in a more content mood than the beer itself ever would've done, and he found himself smiling a lot in return.

"Ha!" He crowed after one particularly difficult battle, "now we're even!" He put his controller on the table and pumped his fist into the air, and Daisy grumbled, punching his shoulder.

"Tie-breaker. You're going down." She promised, and he raised his eyebrow coyly.

"You think?" He elbowed her side lightly in return.

"What the hell's going on down here?" A tired voice grumbled from the staircase, and both Coulson and Daisy whipped their heads around, seeing The Director standing at the bottom of the stairs, rubbing his eyes and squinting. They must've gotten too loud.

"Uh," Daisy was a bit flummoxed at the image of their boss in a rumpled suit and his hair sticking up at all ends. "You even sleep in suits?"

"Is that my beer?" He frowned, his expression still obviously addled with sleep.

"We'll replace it." Coulson promised.

"If we're not being attacked, quiet down." He mumbled, shuffling back up the stairs.

Daisy and Coulson sat there in silence for a few moments, staring at the now empty staircase.

"Did you ever sleep in your suits?" Daisy wondered, looking at him. He turned toward her, giving her a look like she just said something horrifying.

"Never on purpose."

"He even had his tie still on," She glanced back toward the stairs.

"I've never done that, it's far too uncomfortable." Coulson furrowed his brow, glancing back as well, "He must've been working pretty hard on something."

"What, you think?" Daisy asked, and he looked at her again, shrugging, and picked up the controller once more.

"Don't know, don't care right now. We're trying to relax, remember?" He leaned his shoulder against hers, and she grinned at him, pushing her shoulder back against him.

"Are we really going to replace his beer?" She asked, and he raised his eyebrow at her again. She grinned a little coyly. "We could wait, you know, and see if he remembers in the morning. Feign innocence."

"You are awfully feisty lately," He told her, more amused than anything else, and her grin widened.

**... ... ...**

"Uh... Amigos?" Elena grasped Daisy's shoulder, shoving her a little. Daisy frowned and grumbled, rolling over onto her other side, snuggling against Coulson. Elena smirked, disappeared for a moment, and reappeared with a cell phone in her hand. She took a photo of the sleeping pair, quite pleased with herself.

"Daisy!" She called louder, and both Daisy and Coulson sat up quickly, heads bumping into one another and groaning. Coulson frowned as he rubbed at his head, looking entirely displeased at the sudden awakening.

"Elena." Daisy commented, realizing who was standing there grinning down at them. She looked at the table, two PlayStation controllers and four bottles of beer, and only then turned her gaze toward Coulson. "Coulson," She said in the same tone of voice.

"Daisy." He replied, a bit grouchy. "Now that we've all been reacquainted," He looked up at Elena, "what is wrong?"

"You need coffee." Elena informed him, eyebrow raised, arms folded across her chest. "And we have a mission." She reminded Daisy.

"Shit," Daisy stood up, running her hands through her hair quickly before reaching for the empty bottles.

"I'll get those," Coulson told her, reaching out to rest his hand on her wrist, stopping her. She relaxed a little, and smiled apologetically at him.

"Sorry to leave the mess for you...I have to get ready."

"No worries, seriously." He promised. "I had fun," he added softly, and she practically beamed at him.

"I did, too." They looked at one another for a long moment, until Elena piped up rather suggestively,

"Fun doing what?"

Coulson cleared his throat, averting his eyes away from Daisy, the tips of his ears reddening.

"We'd better bolt before The Director comes down here," Daisy joked lightly, and Coulson smirked and nodded in agreement, getting to his feet as well. "Hey," Daisy touched his arm as he turned toward the bottles, getting his attention again. "Thank you," She stepped close and kissed his cheek gently, maybe lingering a second too long. When she pulled back, his face was all soft and his eyes were directly on hers and she was sorely tempted to lean in again and kiss his parted lips.

"You're welcome." He whispered. She pressed her hand against his cheek for a moment, his skin a little rough with morning scruff, before turning and leading Elena out of the room.

Elena glanced back at Coulson before disappearing around the corner, giving him a wide smile and a thumbs up.

He laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, and then focused on cleaning up the evidence from the night before.

"Hey."

He jumped, turning back toward the hall, seeing Daisy poking her head into the room.

"Were we cuddling?" She wondered, and Coulson blinked at her. He opened his mouth, rotated his jaw, and shut his mouth. She grinned, and nodded. "I thought so." She disappeared again, and he stared into the space she had been, frowning a little in confusion.

He was waiting on the coffee machine to brew when The Director made his way down the stairs, in a fresh suit and looking far more put together than Coulson currently was.

"Late start?" The Director asked, giving him a once-over before rummaging through the refrigerator and pulling out a bottle of water.

"Something like that," Coulson muttered, subconsciously smoothing his hand down the back of his hair. Thankfully, the living room was cleaned up again by now. "Coffee?" He offered, and the other man shook his head, swallowing a mouthful of water and looking at Coulson with complete innocence as he replied,

"I already had my coffee this morning."

Coulson nodded and filled up his mug, putting the carafe back in the machine before he realized what The Director had said. He set his mug back down on the counter very slowly.

"That couch is actually pretty comfortable, right?" The Director commented, drinking more water, casual as can be. Coulson swallowed, shifting his eyes over before turning slightly to face his boss directly. "You can find that beer in the big wine store in the city." The Director raised his eyebrow a little, before heading back toward his office.

"Sir," Coulson wanted to explain, somehow or another, but his boss turned and shook his head at him, stopping him.

"I told you before. If it doesn't interfere with your work, I don't care."

"But - "

"I would prefer it if you asked before you drink my favorite beer, next time." The Director interrupted, and trudged back up the stairs, ending the conversation.

Coulson took in a breath, biting on his lower lip for a moment before releasing the breath.

Then he remembered that he'd had Daisy in his arms for a few hours, and he smiled, and carefully sipped his hot coffee.

 

 

 **9.  
**   
The comms had gone out after they'd observed a large explosion on the surveillance cameras, so Coulson, May, The Director, Simmons, and a few of her lab techs were waiting in the garage for Daisy and her team to return to base. They had no idea if anyone was injured, and to what extent, so they wanted to be ready for immediate transfer to the medbay if necessary.

Turned out it wasn't necessary; just some scrapes and bruises, and Daisy looking very harried but in one piece. Simmons and her techs took Elena back to treat a few minor cuts she'd received while apparently rushing Daisy to safety, just narrowly avoiding being in the middle of the explosion.

Coulson and Daisy approached one another immediately, immensely relieved, though Coulson still looked like he was a bit distressed over the whole thing.

He grasped her arms gently, unnecessarily getting her full attention - he already had it - and then shifted his palms to either side of her face.

"You okay?" He asked, his tone official but his expression very much not. She nodded within his grasp, touching his elbows lightly. Her hair, getting longer, was in disarray, and he gently curled the loose strands behind her ear.

"I'm alright," She said aloud, and he nodded, slowly rubbing his thumb against her cheek.

"Debriefing in ten." The Director announced a little more loudly than he would've normally; the two of them had forgotten about anyone else in the room.

Coulson jerked his hands back to himself and stepped back out of Daisy's space, nodding dutifully toward his boss. Daisy nodded as well, and May snorted at them before heading up the QuinJet's ramp, assisting Mack on a damage check.

The Director pursed his lips at them, wondering why the hell they continued to try and hide their relationship from him - whatever the hell it actually was, it was nevertheless apparent that they were _close_. How many times did he need to tell them that he didn't care? Maybe he _should_ start caring...

"That was close." Daisy commented, getting Coulson's attention again, and The Director turned and walked toward the hall.

"You're okay." Coulson assured her, and The Director glanced back to see Coulson gather her close, and Daisy wrap her arms tightly around him. He caught Joey's gaze, and the Inhuman rolled his eyes in a comically large gesture, grinning.

Coulson leaned back, examining Daisy's expression, and pulled out of the embrace when he saw whatever it was he'd been looking for. Then, his hand still on her arm, he pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead, lingering far too long for it to be anything but intimate.

After seeing that, The Director gave Joey a small smile in return, shaking his head a little. He continued out of the room, needing to prepare for their meeting.

Coulson pulled away again, and Daisy was smiling at him widely. She shifted to grab his hand in her own, squeezing tightly for a moment.

"I'm going to clean up a little before the meeting." She told him, and he nodded again, stepping back to give her space to move toward the hall. Joey skipped up to walk with her, and Coulson hung back for a moment to gather his nerves.

"So," Joey started after they'd walked in silence for a minute.

"Don't." Daisy warned, hearing the suggestiveness in his tone.

"Come on," Joey protested, "I told you about _my_ new beau,"

"Yeah, TMI, by the way." Daisy raised her eyebrows at him, and he blushed but smiled widely.

"Come onnnn," He ducked his head against her shoulder, pouting up at her, "you totally boinked on the couch the other night, right?"

"What?! No!" Daisy pushed her shoulder against him, shoving him away from her. He realized the disbelief on her face wasn't an act, and he frowned in surprise.

"You two haven't... Ever?" Joey wondered.

"No!" Daisy scoffed, glaring at him a little. "And I thought I was rid of the annoying little brother when Hunter left."

"Oh." He either ignored or didn't hear her last statement. "I thought... Not even a little bit?" He seemed perplexed.

"I don't even know what that question means exactly, but, no." Daisy frowned, really wanting this conversation to end.

"Don't you want to?"

"Joey!" She hissed, and he shrugged. This conversation wasn't appropriate to be having at all, much less in the middle of the hallway. "I'm going to go rinse the dirt and grime off, and then I will meet you for the debriefing," She informed him very pointedly, and walked away before he could say anything else.

Though, when she closed her eyes while she was under the spray in the shower, she still felt Coulson's lips against her skin, and she remembered how it felt waking up on that couch with him wrapped around her.

 

 

 **10.  
**   
The Director was working on a report in the living room, choosing the comfort of the couch over his office chair. Coulson and Daisy were in the kitchen behind him, working on making dinner for the whole team. It was a little strange to get used to, but The Director was coming to appreciate how much like a family this team seemed to be. All his life as a SHIELD agent, he was taught that was a dangerous way to go about teamwork, but here he had to disagree. He's seen over the months how they all work together, how even Daisy's Inhuman team seems to meld along with SHIELD when they're out on the field, while appearing to the public as a separate unassociated entity. The whole thing is sometimes messy, obviously, as family is, but all in all it functioned well.

This dinner thing was new to him, but Daisy has assured that the others would be into it, so he agreed.

Laughter floated across the room, light and joyful, and he glanced up in time to catch Daisy bump her hip into Coulson's. He chuckled along, bumping her hip in return, his eyes on the pan on the stove in front of him. The Director focused back toward his report, wanting to finish it up before dinner. He realized there was a presence in the hall, and looked up to see May and Mack standing in the entryway, mutual expressions of...something like consternation.

They were staring at the two in the kitchen, as if they were seeing something entirely unexpected and strange. He followed their gaze, watching as Daisy reached up to touch the back of Coulson's neck with one hand, and then when he turned toward her she used her other hand to swipe sauce onto the tip of his nose. Coulson laughed, jerking his head away from her too late, grabbing her wrists with both hands. She fought with his grasp, clearly not actually trying too hard to free herself, and he eventually used her own hand to get sauce on her nose in retaliation. Only then did he let her go, and she elbowed him, careful not to get any of the red sauce on his white shirt.

She grabbed a paper towel and wiped her nose off, then wiped Coulson's off for him as well, and The Director looked back toward the entryway, himself unconcerned about what he'd just seen. Mack and May, on the other hand, seemed very concerned. And even more so when they met his gaze and saw how nonchalant he was. He shrugged, intent to return to his paperwork, but May approached him quickly and silently, trying not to get the attention of Coulson or Daisy.

"Something wrong?" He wondered, and she gave him a look.

"You tell me." She said pointedly, her voice lowered, and he raised his eyebrow.

"Them? Don't worry about it." He shrugged, waving it off, not wanting her to think he was about to fuss at arguably two of the best agents he had. In competition with May herself, of course. (He really was lucky with this team, here.)

"Don't worry about it?" May repeated, confused and surprised. Both of them looked back toward the kitchen. Coulson had finished with whatever he'd been working with on the stove, and had grabbed Daisy's hips from behind, swinging with her like they were dancing to music.

"Yeah," The Director replied with another shrug of his shoulder, looking back up at May. "That's just how they are." He got it now, at least this part of the team dynamic. Daisy and Coulson were... Daisy and Coulson. The rest of the team didn't have to continue worrying about him misconstruing things or anything like that.

"It _is_?" Mack asked in bewilderment, having approached the couch, though his eyes haven't yet strayed from the kitchen. They finally did; he and May shared a look that made The Director slowly frown.

"Isn't it?"

 

 **(11.)  
**   
He opened the door to the storage room, on the hunt for a specific box of OSS files, and jerked to a stop in the doorway, half covering his eyes with one hand.

"Guys, come on." He groaned, propping his other hand on his hip.

Coulson stepped back from the wall so Daisy, who'd had her legs wrapped around his waist, could stand on her own two feet. She quickly straightened out her dress and Coulson zipped closed his trousers.

"What have I _said_." The Director complained, and Coulson cleared his throat.

"This storage room is the least used!" Daisy said defensively.

"You have _two_ \- private - rooms at your disposal!" The Director pointed out, putting both hands on his hips now that he knew they were decent again.

"We can't just walk in and out of one another's rooms in the middle of the day! Someone might see!" Daisy told him, and he threw his hands up into the air.

"And you don't think they'd see you sneaking into a storage room?!" He was never going to get that image out of his head. He was still trying to forget the _last_ time he'd walked in on them. (Well, that particular statement wasn't technically true - he'd opened the car door on them.)

"There's nothing suspicious about inventory." Coulson finally found his voice, and The Director closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath and tried not to get too frustrated.

"I told you before that this better not - " He let out a breath, and restarted, "I need to get - " He stopped again, breathed again, and opened his eyes. "You know what, just, bring me box four-thirty-two within the hour." He gave them a warning look. "And for the love of God, _please_ tell the rest of the team. I'm tired of walking in you two!"

He left the room before they could argue, making sure the door was shut behind him.

Before reaching his own office, he knocked on the open door of May's, sticking his head into the room.

"Got any Glenlivet left?" He asked her, and with a raised eyebrow, she opened the bottom drawer of her desk and lifted out a bottle of whiskey.

"Where are they, so I know which room to avoid in the near future?" She asked him as he entered the room, pulling out a glass and pouring him a drink.

"Storage room at the end of Hall J." He answered, savoring the strong burn of the whiskey. It wasn't even enough of a glass to really get him buzzed, but the taste would help him push the images in his brain to the back far reaches of his memory.

"That's just a bunch of old OSS files, isn't it?" She wondered. "What were you doing back there?"

"Are you blaming _me_ for walking in on them?"

"You seem to have a particular luck in that department," She replied dryly, and he groaned quietly.

"You have no idea." He sighed, and gestured the empty glass in his hand. "I'll go wash this out and bring it back. Thanks."

"Anytime," May nodded, but then added before he was completely out of the room, "But if this keeps happening, you're going to owe me a new bottle of whiskey."

"Dear God, I hope not." He muttered, continuing down the hall.


End file.
